Nanny Next Door (8 page)

“You’re right,” she said softly. “This would have been a mistake.”

She lost her balance and had to sit on the edge of the mattress. “I guess I did have a lot to drink,” she said, and it seemed to take extra concentration to form the words clearly. “I’m feeling a little woozy.”

“Why don’t you lie down.”

She complied without question, crawling up the mattress to lay her head on the pillow.

“You want help with your boots?”

She nodded.

He gently tugged them off and set them by the closet where she wouldn’t trip over them. “Anything else?” he asked, hoping she wouldn’t ask him to help take her clothes off. Even he had limits. But she shook her head.

“I’m tired,” she said, her eyes drifting closed.

Not ready to leave her just yet, he sat on the edge of the mattress beside her, smoothing back the loose tendrils of hair framing her face. She made a soft, contented sound.

“Thank you for taking me out tonight,” she said drowsily. “I really did have a good time.”

“We’ll do it again.”

“I’d like that.”

He kept stroking her hair until she fell asleep, then he let himself out of her house, locking the door behind him, and went home. He walked in and switched on the light beside the couch. It was so quiet.

All he’d thought about for a month was getting a moment to himself, but now that he’d gotten it, he felt awfully…
alone.

Lacey didn’t know if she should be shocked or happy for her or totally grossed out. Moms were not supposed to have flings with next-door neighbors. At least not
her
mom. She’d never done a spontaneous thing in her life! Of course, if she was going to do it with anyone, why not a man as hot as Deputy Valenzia?

She thought of her father’s little bimbo, who had the brain capacity of a fruit fly, and actually felt proud of her mom for picking someone like Deputy Valenzia. Maybe she deserved to have some fun after all the crap Lacey’s father put her through. It was a bit gross and very weird. But maybe women her mom’s age had needs just like men did, and it had probably been a really long time since her mom had sex.

Well, not anymore.

She wondered if this meant she would have a cop for a stepdad.

The phone rang and Lacey dug for the extension under a pile of clothes on her bedroom floor. “’Lo.”

“Hi, angel, it’s Daddy.”

Lacey rolled her eyes. She hated it when he used the word
daddy,
as if she was still five. Like it would make her hate him any less. And she wasn’t anyone’s
angel.
“What’s up?”

“Something came up and I won’t be able to have you over today.”

Boo hoo. Well, Lacey hadn’t wanted to see him anyway. And she was sure that the “something” was the bimbo.

“Since you’re out of school later this week, I thought I could come and pick you up Thursday and we’ll spend the afternoon together. I’ll take you shopping.”

Wasn’t that typical of her father, always trying to buy her off. Well, she didn’t want anything from him.

“I can’t,” she said. “I’m going job hunting. I want to help Mom since her new job probably doesn’t pay as much.”

“What new job?”

No thanks to you, Lacey thought bitterly. “She’s working for our next-door neighbor. Deputy Valenzia. She’s his nanny.”

“Since when?”

“She starts Monday.”

There was a long pause, then he said, “Let me talk to her.” His voice sounded funny, like he was really angry. Was it possible that he was mad that her mom was working again? Lacey knew he was the one who got her fired from her old job.

A sly smile curled her mouth. It was payback time. “You can’t talk to her now, she’s still in bed.”

“It’s after eleven!” he said, sounding appalled. “Wake her up.”

No way. “I can’t.”

“Why?”

“Because she has…company.”

“
Company?
Who?”

“Who is that on the phone?”

Lacey spun around to see her mother standing in the bedroom doorway in her robe, hair rumpled, last night’s mascara smeared under her eyes.

“Is that your mother?” her dad barked. “Put her on
immediately.
”

“It’s Dad,” she said, holding out the phone. “He, uh, wants to talk to you.”

Her mom rolled her eyes and took the phone. “What do you want, Jeff?”

Lacey could hear her dad shouting through the phone, and wondered if maybe this hadn’t been such a hot idea after all.

Her mom’s mouth fixed into a thin line, then she flashed Lacey a stern look. “She said I was doing
what?
”

Yeah, definitely a bad idea. Her mom looked pissed.

“Ice Queen? Yeah, sure, I’ll pass on the information.”

Lacey cringed. She’d heard her dad call her mom the Ice Queen more than a few times, and accuse her of being closed off emotionally. Her mom might not have been the most affectionate person in the world, but being married to Lacey’s creep of a father, who would be? Lacey couldn’t even remember the last time she saw her parents kiss, or even hug each other. In fact, she didn’t know if she’d
ever
seen them do that.

“Frankly, Jeff, whether I am or not is none of your damned business.” There was more yelling and some distinct swearing, then her mom laughed. “Bad influence? Are you kidding me? This coming from Mr. I’m-cheating-on-my-wife-with-my-twenty-two-year-old-assistant?”

Whoa! Her mom really must have been mad to blurt that out. Lacey knew about her dad’s affair with the bimbo—and the ones before that—but her mom had never said a word about it in front of her.

There was another pause, then she said, “And explain to me exactly
how
this is different?”

Apparently her dad had every intention of doing just that, because Lacey heard more swearing and yelling. Then her mom did something she’d never done before. Right in the middle of his rant, she slammed down the phone.

“The man’s ego knows no bounds,” she grumbled, rubbing her temples as if she had a headache. Of course, listening to Lacey’s dad shout would give anyone a headache.

The phone started ringing again almost immediately. “Do not answer that,” her mom warned.

The machine picked up on the fourth ring and Lacey could hear her dad shouting from the other room. Her mom turned to her, and Lacey waited for the explosion.

Instead, she said calmly, “Why did you tell your father I’m having an affair with Daniel?”

“That’s not what I said.”

“No, but you implied it.”

“Well, you are, aren’t you?” Lacey said defensively. “Why not tell Dad?”

Her mom sat on the edge of her bed beside her, shoving a pile of unfolded laundry to make room. “First off, no, I am
not
having an affair with Daniel. And even if I was, that would be my private business.”

Lacey wasn’t used to talking about this kind of stuff with her mom. Usually she would just say something snotty and walk away. But for some reason, she knew it would be wrong to do that this time. She’d been a real pain lately and her mom had been putting up with it for the most part, but Lacey could tell her patience was wearing thin.

“I heard you guys come in last night. I’m not stupid. I know something was going on in there.”

“I thought you were staying at Veronica’s.”

“I had a headache, so I came home.” She twisted the ring on her thumb. “It’s okay. I was kind of grossed out at first, but I’m not upset or anything. I think you
should
start dating.”

Her mom sighed. “What you heard last night was Daniel helping me in because I had too much to drink. Then he left.”

“Oh.”

“I appreciate that you’re okay with me dating, honey, but if I do, it won’t be our next-door neighbor. Or a man I’m working for.”

“He’s really hot.”

She sighed. “Yeah, he is. I’m just not ready to date anyone yet.”

Her mom slipped an arm around her and Lacey rested her head against her shoulder, like she had when she was little. It was nice. Sometimes she wished she was little again. Things had been so much easier then. Her parents hadn’t hated each other as much. And her mom hadn’t been so sad all the time. Maybe if she started dating she’d be happy again.

“From now on, let’s keep my personal business personal, okay?”

Lacey nodded. “Sorry.”

“You should get ready. Your dad will be here soon.”

“No, he won’t. He canceled again.”

Her mom squeezed her shoulder. “Oh, honey, I’m sorry.”

“I’m not. I didn’t want to see him anyway. I hate him.”

“He’s made lots of mistakes, but he’s still your father. He deserves your respect.”

“You always told me that to earn respect you have to give it. Well, he doesn’t respect
me.
All he does is make fun of the way I look.”

“He’s just…”

“An opinionated, egotistical jackass?”

Her mom tried to hide a smile. “But he’s here.”

She knew her mom was referring to her own dad, who took off when her mom was only thirteen. Lacey had never even met her grandparents. Her grandma supposedly had mental issues, and her mom hadn’t seen her since she left Michigan. Lacey couldn’t imagine going that long without seeing her parents. Even if her dad was a tool.

“I have an idea,” her mom said. “Since neither of us has plans, why don’t we go to the lake? The water will still be a bit cold, but we can work on our tans. We could pack a picnic lunch.”

Normally Lacey would consider going to the lake with her mom pretty lame, but she had the feeling her mom needed the company. “Sure. That sounds like fun.”

“You could invite Veronica if you’d like.”

Lacey shrugged. “That’s okay. It can just be us this time.”

“By the way, I’m sorry I said that about your father. About him cheating.”

“It’s not like I didn’t already know, Mom. Everyone knew.”

“I know.”

“And just so you know, if you change your mind and want to date Deputy Valenzia—want to date anyone—it’s really okay with me. I want you to be happy.”

“Thanks, honey. I love you.”

For some stupid reason, tears brimmed in Lacey’s eyes. “I love you, too, Mom.”

Simple, she hadn’t been. She’d had so much fun, and so much to drink, she obviously hadn’t been thinking straight. For the first time in…well, she couldn’t even remember how long, she’d felt
alive.
And attractive. And when she’d kissed Daniel it had honestly only been to make Jeff mad, which, she now realized—now that she was sober—had been incredibly childish. But once she’d started kissing him, she didn’t want to stop. And obviously, neither did he. She was just relieved he’d had the good sense to apply the brakes before they went too far.

And what had possessed her to bring him home? The fact that Lacey had heard anything filled her with shame. As if the kid wasn’t confused enough already. If she and Daniel were in a committed relationship, that might be different. But Lacey needed stability in her life, and she wouldn’t get that thinking her mom was having one-night stands with men she hardly knew.

Sydney glanced over at her daughter in the passenger seat, her headphones on, eyes closed, her nose pink from the sun. She’d been stunned when Lacey agreed to go to the lake, and even more surprised when she hadn’t insisted on bringing a friend. And though Sydney had pretty much spent the entire afternoon sleeping off a killer hangover, it had been nice to spend the day together, just the two of them. They didn’t do that nearly often enough anymore.

Jeff had called while they were at the lake to say that he’d rearranged his schedule and he would be picking Lacey up in half an hour, and he’d been furious when Sydney told him it was too late. What the hell did he expect, that after he had repeatedly canceled their plans, Lacey would drop everything on a moment’s notice to see him? That she would sit around waiting for him to acknowledge her?

Sydney had sworn to herself the day Lacey was born that she would always be there for her daughter, would always protect and support her. She never wanted Lacey to know what it was like to feel abandoned or ignored. Though now she wondered if everyone would have been happier if she had never married Jeff. Not only had it done Lacey no good to see her parents so unhappy, but Sydney had wasted years of her life with a man she didn’t love.

But it wasn’t too late to start over. Until last night at the bar she had forgotten what it was like to feel attractive, to feel
wanted.
And knowing that Lacey was okay with it made Sydney wonder if it was finally time to put herself out there. To consider a relationship with a man.

Any man but Daniel, that is.

Speaking of Daniel, Sydney thought, she was going to have to stop at his place and apologize for last night. For the way she threw herself at him. Not that he’d seemed to mind, not at first anyway.

As if she wasn’t uncomfortable enough around him. Now every time she looked at him, she was going to remember how it felt to be pressed against him, the taste of his lips, the spicy scent of his skin. And she would always wonder what it would have been like if he hadn’t said no.

When they pulled into the driveway, the sun was just beginning to set, and as soon as the van stopped Lacey opened her eyes.

“Home already?” she said, yawning.

Sydney handed her the keys. “Unlock the door. I’ll get the stuff from the back.”

She got out and walked around to the rear of the van, but before she could grab the beach bag, Lacey called to her.

“Mom, did you forget to shut the back door when we left?”

She circled around to find Lacey standing by the back door, looking worried. “No, why?”

Lacey pointed. “It’s not closed anymore.”

She was right; the door was standing ajar. Had Sydney forgotten to pull it shut? She’d had her arms full when she’d left. Was it possible that she just hadn’t pulled hard enough? It did tend to stick.

Lacey reached for the knob and Sydney said, “Wait!”

It certainly wasn’t worth taking a chance. If someone had broken in, they could still be there.

“Come with me,” she said, waving Lacey over.

“Where?”

“Next door.”

Amazingly, Lacey didn’t argue.

They crossed the yard to Daniel’s house and Sydney knocked on the front door. He opened it, April on his hip, looking surprised to see them there. And her worry must have shown, because immediately he frowned and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“We just got back from a day at the lake and the back door is open. I
think
I closed it when we left, but I thought, just in case…”

“You did the right thing.” Daniel held the door open. “Come in.”

As soon as they were inside he handed April to her. Without a word, he disappeared into his bedroom and emerged a second later holding a gun. Lacey’s eyes went wide, and Sydney’s heart stalled.

“Stay here with the baby,” he said.

“What are you going to do?” Sydney asked.

“Make sure no one is in your house.”

“Shouldn’t we call the police?”

He looked at her funny. “I
am
the police.”

“I know, but shouldn’t you call for backup or something?”

“Don’t worry, okay? Just stay here with April.”

He stepped outside and Sydney watched out the front window as he crossed the yard to her house, gun at his side, until the van blocked her view.

“She’s cute,” Lacey said, gesturing to April. “Can I hold her?”

“Sure, honey.” She handed April over. The baby tangled her fingers in Lacey’s hair.

Sydney turned to keep looking for Daniel. She hoped that if someone had been in her house, they were gone now. Or maybe she just hadn’t shut the door all the way. Maybe she was making a big deal out of nothing.

“I’ve never seen a gun that close before,” Lacey said, sounding a bit awestruck.

“Me, neither, honey.”

“It was weird.”

Actually, it was kind of…sexy. If she could set aside the worry that Daniel might be in danger. Maybe she should have just called 911 instead of dragging him into this.

Sydney paced anxiously by the window. Nearly fifteen minutes passed before he reappeared, the gun tucked into the waist of his jeans.

She met him at the front door. “Well?”

“No sign of forced entry or an intruder.”

“So I overreacted and bothered you for nothing.”

“It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

She still felt stupid. She’d just been so paranoid since the “Fred” incident.

“Can I go in the house now?” Lacey asked.

“Sure, honey.” She took April from her. After Lacey was gone, she told Daniel, “I’m really sorry about this.”

“Don’t be.”

“I feel like I’m taking advantage of you. Just because you’re a cop, it doesn’t mean I have the right to come running to you whenever I have a problem.”

“It’s okay, Sydney. I honestly don’t mind.”

In her experience, that was the kind of thing people said, but didn’t actually mean, but he seemed sincere. He was so
nice
to her. She wasn’t used to that. With Jeff everything had been about what
he
needed or wanted.

She couldn’t help but feel she should be waiting for the other shoe to fall. For Daniel to show his true colors. After all, she’d known him less than a week. The guy was bound to have flaws. Jeff had seemed nice at first, too.

Or maybe she should consider the possibility that Daniel was exactly who he appeared to be.

She handed April to him and said, “I should get home.”

“I was just about to put her down for the night then I thought I’d sit on the porch and have a beer. Care to join me?”

She really should get home. After last night, maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to be alone with him.

“I should get home,” she repeated.

“You have plans?”

“No, but…”

“So you would rather sit home alone than have a beer with me?”

No, she would much rather be with him, and maybe that was the problem. But she didn’t want to hurt his feelings, or seem ungrateful for his help.

“A beer sounds good. Although, we might be more comfortable on my deck. I have a patio set and citronella torches for mosquitoes. You can bring the baby monitor so you could hear April.”

“Sounds much more luxurious than my porch. I’ll put her to bed then meet you out back.”

At least at her own house Lacey would be there, eliminating the opportunity for hanky-panky. Never in her life had she entertained the idea that her teenage daughter would be her chaperone.

While Daniel got April settled, Sydney crossed the lawn to her house. She decided to leave their beach gear in the van for now, and went to her bedroom to change, since she was still wearing her bikini under her shorts and tank. She considered taking a quick shower to wash away the sunblock and beach grime, but she didn’t want to keep Daniel waiting. It wasn’t as if he would be getting close enough to tell, anyway.

She changed into a soft cotton sundress, readjusted her ponytail and smoothed on some lip gloss.

Not great, she thought, checking her reflection, but passable.

She stopped by Lacey’s room to tell her she would be in the yard, and found her sound asleep in bed. Lying in the sun all day must have wore her out. Not to mention that she may not have slept well, thinking her mom was in the next room with the neighbor.

She closed Lacey’s door behind her. So much for a chaperone.

It was already dark as she went out to the deck. Daniel was already there, leaning against the railing, holding two beers. He’d lit the torches and they shed dim light across his profile. He was looking out over her yard, and when he heard her he turned and smiled. “I thought maybe you changed your mind.”

“Sorry, I had to change.”

He twisted the tops off both beers and handed one to her. She took a long swallow and leaned on the railing beside him. The night was clear and the moon hung full and unusually bright in the eastern sky. “Pretty night.”

“Yeah. Glad I’m not on duty, though.”

“Why?”

“Full moon. Brings all the nuts out.”

She couldn’t tell if he was serious or teasing her. “I thought that was an old wives’ tale.”

“Nope. People really do act weird during a full moon.”

Maybe that explained her behavior last night. The moon made her do it.

“So, should we set a limit for you?” he asked. “Now that I know what happens when you drink too much.”

Suddenly Sydney’s cheeks were on fire. She’d been hoping they could just forget about last night. She should have known Daniel wouldn’t let her off that easy. He had an aggravating habit of liking to talk about things, and a predilection toward brutal honesty.

Her philosophy was far less complicated. Why talk when it was so much easier to sweep issues under the rug?

But she could feel his gaze boring through her. She picked at the label on her beer, so she wouldn’t have to look at him. “I’m
really
sorry about that.”

“If you’ll recall, I wasn’t complaining.”

“No, but it was wrong to throw myself at you. And in front of all your friends. I can’t even imagine what they must think.”

He took a swig of his beer. “That I’m a lucky guy.”

“They think we’re…?”

“Wouldn’t you?”

She cringed. “I’m sorry.”

“I think Jon wanted to ask you out.”

“Deputy Montgomery? Seriously?”

He nodded. “He thought you were hot.”

“What is he, twelve?”

“Mid-twenties, I think.”

She swallowed a mouthful of beer. “I guess I should probably thank you.”

“For…?”

She kept her eyes on her bottle. “Stopping things before they went too far. Not taking advantage of me. I’m not normally that…aggressive. It’s just, well, it’s been a long time. Since I’ve…you know…”

“Had sex?”

She nodded, her cheeks on fire again. He was probably used to talking about this sort of thing. He oozed sexuality from every pore, and she was the ice queen. But the things he could probably do to make her melt…

“Had I been sober, that never would have happened,” she said.

“Are you saying that you weren’t turned on by me specifically? I was just…convenient?”

She could tell by his grin that he was teasing her again, and she couldn’t resist playing along. “Pretty much.”

His grin turned sly, and his eyes smoldered like hot coals.

Uh-oh.

“Are you sure about that?” he asked, setting his beer on the railing and sliding closer.

Oh, no, what had she done? “P-pretty sure.”

“So if I did this…” He took her beer from her and set it next to his, then he held her hand in his much larger one, palm up, and with his other hand, gently traced a finger down the center of her palm.

Oh, dear God.

This time her flush had nothing to do with embarrassment.

“Anything?” he asked.

“Nothing,” she lied, hoping he didn’t hear the waver in her voice, and also hoping he
did.
Whatever it took to keep him doing exactly what he was doing. Because as petrified as she felt, and as wrong as this was, she
liked
it. She liked his teasing grin and the heat in his eyes. She wanted to touch him, feel his hard muscle, run her fingers through his hair. But what if he was only playing with her? What if he didn’t really want her?